Shane was super

 Excellent play with some unusual twists on the famous Shane story. The was after a walk downtown and some coffee on our back deck. We did see these bold deer on our walk to dinner last night. The garden at Peerless (2nd photo) is delightful and the food was very good. Early to bed was fine by me!

scenes from Ashland

 I will post photos of lovely Lithia Park later this week. We saw a blue heron in there yesterday. We have a back deck here at our Inn (second photo) and it is just so pleasant to sit out there and read and listen to the gurgling creek. Dinner last night at Chateaubriand, ok, not great, but none of us had steak, so maybe that was on us? But at least outside dining again, I love that. And yay, outdoor theatre! The Merry Wives was colorful and confusing and fun and we didn't get home until midnight. Having a delightful time here.

Ashland welcomed us

 Long and beautiful drive from Oakland to Ashland and of course you recognize Mt. Shasta in the top photo. We are back at the Ashland Creek Inn and it is lovely to be right ON the creek. We walked to dinner at the Hearsay and it was warm enough to sit outside. All wonderful, truly. So nice to be with Mary and John again and a smooth ride in the (ahem) Tesla.

packing and paella

 Yesterday was spent watching the Giants and the Valkyries lose while I packed for Ashland. I leave in about an hour. Whoosh. Rob and Heidi were kind enough to invite me for dinner last night ~ a truly scrumptious paella. Came home to watch the Emmy's. I did not care to The Studio, but that's OK. Next you will hear from the heart of Ashland, or the maybe the stomach.

new neighbors = celebration!

 This nabe is a nice mixture of young and old and many different races. The way it's supposed to be, right? Yesterday was a party across the street with tons of food and lots of meeting/greeting. Good vibes!

unhealthy relationships

 Let's take a break from guns and political rhetoric and watch a little drama on Prime TV. I'm a fan of Robin Wright who plays the overbearing mother on The Girlfriend. Olivia Cooke is the girlfriend and none of these characters is particularly honorable. But fun. Escape. 

feeling sluggish

 We aren't used to this "heavy" weather and I'm moving slowly. The recent assassination of Charlie Kirk helps nothing. Trouble ahead. I will push myself out and have some noodles in Japantown. Maybe Amy will join me. Or I could stay here and brood. 

America is a Gun

 This morning I have some time and I am feeling reflective. I can usually find a poem in the striped poetry box to match my mood. And I did.

America is a Gun

England is a cup of tea.

France, a wheel of ripened brie,

Greece, a short, squat olive tree.

America is a gun.

Brazil is football on the sand.

Argentina, Maradona’s hand.

Germany, an oompah band.

America is a gun.

Holland is a wooden shoe.

Hungary a goulash stew.

Australia, a kangaroo.

America is a gun.

Japan is a thermal spring.

Scotland is a highland fling.

Oh, better to be anything 

than America as a gun.

~ Brian Bilston

finally to Dragon Beaux

I was always curious about Dragon Beaux on Geary and I was not disappointed as we celebrated Jeanine's birthday at lunch yesterday. We had tons of dim sum treats for a reasonable price and of course lots of chit chat. The restaurant is huge and was crowded on a lazy Tuesday.

interesting observation

 I get way more comments (and all positive) when I wear my Valkyries tee shirt than I do when I wear Giants or Warriors merchandise. There is such excitement about this brand new team, especially now that we are going to the playoffs. 

the play's the thing (sort of)

 Of course the town, the restaurants, walking and the friends are also very important. Very. But best I take a look at the plays for which I ordered the tickets back in November, 2024:

Tuesday, 9/16 ~ The Merry Wives of Windsor

Wednesday ~ Shane

Thursday ~ Quixote Nuevo

Friday ~ Julius Caesar

Sunday ~ The Importance of Being Earnest

And I checked the weather and it will not be too hot up there next week. Hooray!

we love Sunday morning

 Fireplace (yes, it's still cool here), cat, newspaper, classical music and I'm starting to pre-pack for our trip to Ashland, Oregon on the 15th. Lists, reminders, anticipation. Annabelle is exhausted just thinking about it, as you can clearly see.

a walk to/fro dinner

 Precita Social is open and I think that they are doing just fine. We celebrated Barb's birthday there last night and the food is excellent. Yes, a little pricey, but certainly worth every penny. Perfectly cooked steak and fries and an unusual salad and hot Parker House rolls. We went early (duh) but almost every table was full when we left. A treat for me to walk there, yay!

yay ~ a new mystery!

 By now we all know that Robert Galbraith is JK Rowling and I love her grown-up books starring the one-legged Comoran Strike, private detective. The Hallmarked Man came out on Tuesday, and is already on my LindaKindle4 and I am back in London and happily so.

mark all calendars everywhere

 Saturday, October 18. We march, we chant, we protest. We do our best to save Democracy.

another tea?

 Yes indeed. I love when Heidi uses her mom's "good" china and there were four of us yesterday afternoon and we were able to solve most of the world's problems. 

another party?

 Yes indeed. Doug and Barb's annual Labor Day bash was a huge success with BBQ'd burgers and a bunch of side dishes and then music and singing and sunshine! Just what was needed for sure.

liver for three

 Many thanks to Neti for treating Pat and me to a delicious bacon/onion/liver dinner last night. We know that this isn't for everyone, but for us it is heavenly. 

I still believe

 I was recently sent this powerful quote from a young woman who said that this is one of the things that I taught her when we worked together. EVERYTHING WILL WORK OUT. Especially now with this Clown of a Dictator tRump, I have to remember this. There are more good people than bad. We stay strong. We continue to fight for our Democracy.

random SF scenes

 The top photo is from Neti's kitchen window ~ she lives in Twin Peaks. Gorgeous. Then this brand new Lili's Candy Shop on 26th Street, right across from a school. I bought a little sweet and talked to the owner  and admired her fun and colorful store. I hope she succeeds. 

better than the book

 Well, of course, who can NOT appreciate Helen Mirren and Pierce Brosnan? Last night I watched half of this new Flix® movie and even though I am not a fan of sprightly old people stories (we are not cute), I am ok with The Thursday Murder Club and you might be too. Or not.

yes, that was loverly

 I needed a good old solo day yesterday so off I went for duck noodle soup at King Thai Noodle and then to the SF Playhouse for My Fair Lady. I had a splendid time and so enjoyed this musical which I have seen many times, so nostalgia was my companion and a most welcome one. I prefer to live in the present, but once a a great while I do sink back into the days of yore. And that's OK. Oh, the dog belongs to SF Playhouse and she came out for intermission yesterday. Very cool.

Ken (the person)

 (As opposed to Ken, my 2000 Toyota.) We had lunch at the Precita Park Cafe and then came back here for tea and some "remember whens?" I met Ken over 30 years ago when we were both eager booksellers and just starting out on our so-called careers. Barnes & Noble, Borders and then we both ended up working in museums. Somehow we always stayed in touch ~ a good thing too. And note blue sky!

another K-drama

 I needed to escape to Seoul for Beyond the Bar, a compelling legal drama about a young rookie woman lawyer and her cold (but not really) mentor boss. The clients and cases are unusually interesting in my opinion, so you might want to check it out on the Flix®.

let's just back track, OK?

 Of course you all remember that I met Emma one Sunday a few years ago while picking up trash at Manny's, right? We bonded and she moved to Portland and Handy Jan built a suite for her and she finally used it with her partner, Natalie, and everything was oh so smooth. Emma and Natalie arrived Friday night for pizza here and Saturday we went to breakfast at Le Marais in the Castro. I introduced them to Waymo and they loved the driverless cars and downloaded the app for themselves and used it without me on Saturday as they flew around SF and I prepped for the party. So, whoosh, that's it in a nutshell. Heidi, Emma and I went to Manny's yesterday morning for trashing and had a splendid time as Natalie enjoyed some alone time with her coffee and she ran into a woman that she met in Thailand a few years ago and isn't life just amazing and wonderful? Well, most of the time. Emma and Natalie left yesterday afternoon and are now back home with their big dog, Ferguson. I already miss them...